Ava Luxe- No. 23

In ancient numerology the number 23 was regarded as a sacred number of magic and enchantment. It's sometimes referred to as The Royal Star of the Lion and it bestows abundant grace and blessing to those influenced by it.                     ---Ava Luxe website

I know very little (as in nothing, really) about numerology. I'm partial to 13 because it's sort of an underdog and I was born on that day, but that's about it. As a math teacher I have a more practical relationship with numbers, and 23 never stood out to me, except when teaching about prime numbers. I like the idea of a perfume created with the idea of grace and blessing much better, which might be among the reasons I'm no longer teaching fifth grade.

No. 23 by indie perfumer Serena Ava Franco of Ava Luxe might not be a magic potion but it's both calming and uplifting. It's often compared to Tam Dao (Diptyque), and for a good reason. Both are built around sandalwood on all its warmth and creaminess. Tam Dao, though, is more woody and dry, and while more creamy it doesn't get as sweet as No. 23. The Ava Luxe creation is also spicier and has an anise note (not listed, but my nose insists it's there). On very cold winter days No. 23 smells to me like the lovechild of Tam Dao and L'Heure Bleue. I guess if a perfume is going to resemble an illegitimate offspring, the above is a very good lineage.

But, seriously, Ava Luxe has created a beautiful perfume that offers both an incense-like meditative quality and a sensual elegance. The sweetness may have a come-hither vibe, but it's also warm and rich with a lot of substance. I own it in the perfume oil version and no longer have a sample of the EDP, so I can't comment on any possible difference between the formulations. The oil is long lasting and has a decent projections, though you only get the full spectrum of nuances when approaching skin level. I like this intimacy with the scent and find it very fitting for this special perfume.

No. 23 by Ava Luxe ($25, 5ml perfume oil or $30 15ml EDP) is available from the perfumer's website, ava-luxe.com.

Art: Memories 6 by Pamela Sukhum

Ava Luxe Johri (perfume oil and EDP)

Yes, more fig perfumes.

Probably because the end of summer is upon us and nothing says September like figs. Not that Johri by Ava Luxe is about the fruit. It most certainly isn't, focusing instead on the tree itself- wood and greenery. But the smell of a fig tree is what counts for me, and Johri gives it in spades.

I have this Ava Luxe creation both in perfume oil and as an eau de parfum (which is not available at the moment) and find them distinctly different in their opening- the lemon and pepper top notes are much more pronounced in the oil, making it less sweet (and probably more masculine/unisex at that stage). The EDP's top notes are airier and drift more smoothly from these notes into the fig tree on all its aspects. The green fig and the leaves appear first and morph into a beautiful coconut-fig-wood musky drydown with a hefty dose of creaminess.

The oil is drier and spicier. The pepper note remains long after the lemon disappears, making Johri quite different than other sweet milky fig scents. Sometimes I think I smell a bit of dusty cumin, but this might be just the pepper playing tricks in the heat. I also smell a lot more cedar than sandalwood in the oil (unlike the EDP), but this can also be due to a later batch. The late drydown is basically the same, rich and lovable with a fig-vanilla-musk base. The overall feel of this perfume is warm and full of sunshine, no matter which formulation I wear. I admit to being a bit biased in favor of the sweeter EDP, but I'll take fig in almost any shape or form. It transports me to far away places and different landscapes, where the earth is dry and the trees give much-needed shades and a delicious aroma.

Johri ($20 for 5ml) and the rest of Ava Luxe's perfume oils (no EDP at this time) are available on Etsy. Samples can be purchased from The Posh Peasant and The Perfumed Court.

Photo: Sunshine Through Fig Leaves by Dominic Sagolla

Ava Luxe Kama (EDP and Parfum Extrait)

I first tested Kama by Ava Luxe from a sample of the EDP and loved the naughty musk with its powdery heart and a hint of sweet darkness. It was sexy but never heavy or cheap and always wearable, despite an impressive sillage. When the sample was drained, I decided to upgrade and buy the extrait, hoping for more of the same, only deeper and darker.

The parfum extrait is a bit different, and I'm not sure I made the right decision. Don't get me wrong: I like it a lot and the drydown is delicious in a way reminiscent of other musky favorites such as Musc Ravageur. It's less powdery sweet and probably easier to wear for guys who shy away from vanilla. The labdanum is very prominent ( think of Le Labo Labdanum or a more masculine Barbara Bui). As expected, the extrait is closer to the skin than the EDP but surprisingly lacking in staying power. My other issue with it is the first 30 minutes that are a little to rough and jagged. It has quite a bit of unpolished resinous wood that makes the scent feel a bit unfinished. Not in a bad way, but something is missing.

It doesn't change the fact I just want to bathe in Kama and feel it all around me. The drydown is soft and satisfying in that comforting way I find in many musks, including the dirtiest. Kama is labeled as animalic, but I get no skank. Then again, I also wear MKK, so don't take my word for it.

Kama by Ava Luxe is available as EDP ($45) and extrait ($50) from the creator's web site, http://www.ava-luxe.com

Image: Brocata Ochre by Fabian Perez from Vinings Gallery

Everybody Loves A Limited Edition- Ava Luxe Sacred

There are people who start getting twitches in the credit card area as soon as they learn that something is a limited edition, limited quantity, here-today-gone-tomorrow, buy now or forever hold your lemming. Sometimes, I'm one of these people.

I know I'm not the only one who reached for her purse within minutes of receiving the Ava Luxe newsletter about the new creation, Sacred. The email promised high quality rare materials, exclusivity and a cute bottle. I had to have it.

The bottled arrived quickly and it was as cute and as potent as expected. I liked the first whiff of a dense, herbal potion that's almost chewable. While very different, it has a similar feel (not smell) to the opening of Ambre Sultan. It becomes a potent herbal rose. Not a pretty, girly rose, but a dark goth one, which I actually prefer. The problem for me starts as the rose withdraws and the myrrh takes center stage.

Now, I like myrrh. It's the main player in my beloved and discontinued L'Eau Trois, but the Diptyque fragrance is very dry and has a warm, dusty element. Here, there's a musty thing that takes over and makes the scent uncomfortable, especially if you make the mistake of underestimating the potency of this oil and over apply. It can become suffocating in large doses, and at the risk of sounding like Luca Turin, I'll also say that somewhere in the never ending dry-down the whole composition and structure falls apart.

I remember my first tries of Regina Harris' Frankincense Myrrh Rose Maroc. It took my a long time to get it, but eventually I learned to love this very complex bomb. Sacred, despite several common notes/ingredients, doesn't smell anything like FMRM. It's not as complex or exuberant, and it lacks the sex appeal. However, there's no denying that the quality is amazing, and that the myrrh overload might be a trick my skin is playing, as it is known to amplify this note. I'm not giving up on the bottle just yet, but I'm going to be very careful in applying it, since it's not a husband-pleaser and the scent lingers even after a shower.

Ava Luxe fragrances are sold through the artist's Etsy store, which was where I bought my bottle ($75). It seemed that the first batch of Sacred was sold out within two days, but now there are four more bottles available. Look under Limited Edition in the Pure Parfum section.